Tag Archives: Mary

A Great and Mighty Wonder – Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 for Christmas Eve 2023

Luke 2:1–20

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 

14 “Glory to God in the highest, 

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Life is often repetitive and mundane. It fills up with schedules, to-do lists, and errands. You make plans to get everything done as efficiently as possible. You get up, get ready, and get yourself to work or to school or to that appointment. You do what is required of you. Then, you go to bed and sleep only so you can get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

In your efforts to be efficient, organized, and keep it all together, you get into a grove – or, sometimes, a rut. Like a horse pulling a carriage, you put blinders on yourself so you can focus squarely on the next task at work, planning the week’s meals, finishing that big assignment, whatever it is that needs to get done. 

But from time to time, something wonderful happens. Your professor cancels the final. Your adult kid surprises you by coming home. The doctor tells you that the cancer is gone, and you don’t need any further treatments. These wonderful things pull us out of our monotonous lives. And those wonderful things remain wonderful. Five minutes after it happens, it’s still wonderful. If an hour passes, it’s still just as amazing as when it happened. A week, a month, a year, later still has zero effect on the wonder of the thing. Sure, the memory of exactly how it happened might fade, but the wonder stays.

When Sarah and I were dating, I remember meeting her grandma, Hazel. I don’t remember the context of our conversation, but she told me a story of when her kids were young. The family was having serious financial troubles. Hazel didn’t know how she should put supper on the table. There was no food in the house and no money to buy anything. She bumped into one her friends that afternoon who stopped her and asked, “Have you come down from cloud 9 yet?” Hazel didn’t have any idea what her friend was referring to, so her friend told her she had won a drawing at the local grocery store. The prize was a used car that was full of groceries. Suddenly, supper was covered – as well as the next several days of meals. She packed up her kids and picked up the prize. And Hazel told how my father-in-law rode home in the back seat of that car eating cookies and chips that were part of the prize.

When Hazel told that story to me, her voice was excited and filled with wonder. I could see the tears of joy welling up in her eyes. It didn’t matter at all that the food was long gone and the car in the junk yard because it had happened decades before. The wonder of that event hadn’t faded one bit. Hazel would retell that story to me many more times. It wasn’t as though she had forgotten that she had already told the story to me. She just loved telling it, and every time she shared that memory, the joy and wonder the whole thing was still as fresh as though it had happened yesterday because time is irrelevant to the wonder of a thing.

Now, you can probably see where I’m going with this. Jesus was born two-thousand-twenty-some years ago. But the wonder of God entering creation and taking on a human body is still as wonderful and amazing as it was when it happened.

Now, the devil wants to steal that wonder and awe because it was by the birth of Jesus that Satan’s head was crushed (Gen. 3:15). For the Son of God to die and rise again for the forgiveness of your sin, He first had to be born. But Satan thinks you’re stupid. He wants you to adopt an apathetic attitude toward Jesus’ birth and Christmas for the simple reason that it happened a long time ago. He wants to put all sorts of convoluted ideas about the meaning of Christmas into your head so you start to think, “Why should I be happy or joyful about something that happened in the distant past?” If that is the case for you tonight, or any night, you can tell the devil that he’s stupid for thinking you’re that stupid.

Once, a manger had something in it that was bigger than the whole world (C.S. Lewis). The Creator of the universe, who made all things by simply speaking, squeezed Himself into the 8 lb. (give or take) body of an infant boy, and yet He wasn’t cramped. Or more accurately, God became a baby – who couldn’t feed Himself or even lift His own head. And He did this for you.

Tonight, in an effort to regain some sense of the great and mighty wonder of Christmas, put yourself into the account Luke has given us (Lk. 2:1-20). Imagine it from the perspective of Joseph and Mary. Imagine being there among the animals. Jesus has just been born, so they wrap Him up and put Him in the manger because there was simply nowhere else to put Him.

Every parent should have a sense of awe and amazement when a child is born because every birth is a divine gift and miracle. But Joseph and Mary both knew that this particular birth was especially unique. Mary had been told by the angel Gabriel that, though she was a virgin, she would conceive the Son of God (Lk. 1:35). Joseph was also told that the Child in Mary’s womb was the fulfillment of the prophecy we heard from Isaiah 7. Joseph was told that this Child is Immanuel which means “God with us” and that His name was to be Jesus because Yahweh had come to save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:18-25). They knew all of this, so that song, “Mary Did You Know?” the answer to the title of that song is, “Yes.” Maybe she didn’t know all the details about some of the specific questions that song asks, but by and large, the answers to the questions in that song are a resounding, “Yes. Mary knew.”

And yet, the way the Scriptures record the moment of the birth of Jesus, we get left with the impression that it wasn’t any more wondrous than the birth of any other child. In fact, Jesus’ birth was probably a bit of a letdown. Here in Lk. 2, the actual birth of Jesus gets only a verse and a half of ink (v. 6b-7), “the time came for [Mary] to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, wrapped Him swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger.” In Mt. 1:25, Jesus’ birth is even more understated; it’s just, “[Mary] gave birth to a Son.” It’s as though we are to imagine Joseph and Mary looking at this Child, whom they know is God in the flesh, but they look around at the animals and their surroundings and say to each other, “Huh. There’s no glowing. No halo over His head. He’s supposed to be God, but He’s just a baby. So this is it?”

But then, shortly after, some shepherds arrive, and one of them pokes his head from around the corner and asks, “Excuse me. I know this is a barn, but does there happen to be a baby in here?” Joseph or Mary (you can pick which one responds) says, “Well, um, yes there is.” 

The shepherd responds, “I really don’t mean to bother you, but is that baby swaddled?” 

“Yeah. That’s kind of what you do with babies.” 

“Was He just born today?” 

“That’s right, just a few hours ago.” 

“Sorry. I just have one more question. It’s a bit dark in there, and I just have to know – is the baby lying in that manger there?” 

“How did you know?” 

And the shepherds just bow down to the ground and worshipped.

You have probably gotten so used to hearing Lk. 2 on this night each year. It’s good to hear and read it again and again. But it’s so wonderful. Take your time considering all of it. Slow down, look at the details, and meditate on the fact that God became flesh and blood for you.

Imagine it from the angles’ perspective. Imagine how confused the angels must have been that night. They had gotten a break from their regular patrol and angelic duties and sent to this field where the shepherds are. Those angels look up, and there is God on the throne of all creation. So, they sing, “Glory to God in the highest.” But then they look down into that manger and see God is there too. So, they keep singing, “And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Luke tells us that those shepherds made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child and, “all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” That includes Joseph and Mary. They heard about the angel who announced it, and they heard about the song that the multitude of the heavenly host sang. And they were filled with wonder.

Dear friends, it doesn’t matter how old the story of the birth of God is, Christmas is wonderful. Treasure this great and mighty wonder. Jesus has come, and He has come for you. Tonight and always, ponder in your heart that unto you is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Merry Christmas! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Child Who Is John’s Joy – Sermon on 2 Samuel 6:12-23 and Luke 1:39-45 for Midweek Advent 3

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We expect kings to behave differently than we do. Kings don’t walk; they strut. Kings don’t just throw on some clothes; they are robed. And kings don’t eat; they dine. Kings are dignified and distinguished. That’s why David’s wife, Michal, was so disgusted by her husband’s behavior in our Old Testament reading (2 Sam. 6:12-23). He wasn’t acting very kingly.

The Ark of the Covenant had been stolen by the Philistines and had been held for about seven months (1 Sam. 6:1). When the Israelites initially recovered the Ark, things didn’t go so well. Hundreds of years before, when God had given instructions on how to build the Ark, He commanded that the Ark have golden rings on its corners so that poles overlaid with gold could be placed through those rings (Ex. 25:12-15). The priests were instructed to carry the Ark by those poles on their shoulders (Nu. 7:9). But a guy named Uzzah and those with him put the Ark on a cart. When one of the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, Uzzah reached out to stabilize the Ark and was killed when he touched it. This made David afraid to move the Ark any further. So, the Ark stayed at the house of Obed-edom for three months (2 Sam. 6:11) while he and his whole household were blessed. That is where our Old Testament lesson picks up.

David hears how Obed-edom was blessed and decides to finish the job of bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem. This time, the proper procedure for carrying the Ark was followed to the letter (1 Ch. 15:13-15). The “proper” behavior for a king, however, was thrown out the window. King David is part of the procession, but he doesn’t wear his royal robes. Instead, David puts on a linen ephod which was a humble garment for a priest. David doesn’t stride like a king before the Ark; instead, David leaped and danced like nobody was watching.

But David’s wife, Michal, was watching, and she wasn’t at all impressed by her husband’s behavior. Instead, she sarcastically nags him for it. But God was watching David too, and God judged David’s celebration and joy to be very befitting for His king. So, God made Michal barren for the rest of her life because she mocked David’s joy.

At the beginning of our service this past Sunday, the first words of Scripture you heard in our Call to Worship were the same words from our Epistle lesson tonight (Php. 4:4-7), “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (And, in fact, you’ll hear those verses again in this coming Sunday’s epistle lesson.) The reason for so much rejoicing this week is, according to the text, that “the Lord is at hand.” Rejoice. You don’t have to climb up to heaven to the presence of God. No. He comes to you. He comes to bring His love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace. And this good news should make us throw away any sense pride or dignity we might think we possess in ourselves and cause our hearts to leap for joy like David.

Our problem is that we are too much like Michal and not enough like King David. Our hearts are pulled from the joy of God’s presence. Like Adam and Eve in the garden after they ate the forbidden fruit, we avoid God’s presence. Usually, it isn’t because we are afraid of punishment but because we are too busy running after worldly things that we imagine will bring joy. But when we attain those things, we don’t find joy or even fulfillment. At best, we are amused for a while and then get bored. Even though God knows this about us, He still graciously desires to dwell with us.

That is why Christ came. He draws near to save a world that is in love with sin instead of Him. God comes to remove our hearts of stone and give us new hearts of flesh so that we can truly rejoice in His presence with us.

We can learn a lot both from King David and from the pre-born John the Baptizer in our Gospel text (Lk. 1:39-45). King David was so overcome with joy that he dropped all sense of decorum a king should have and danced and leapt for joy at the return of the Ark because the Ark of the Covenant was where God promised to dwell with His people. In other words, when David brought the Ark back to Jerusalem, God was returning to His people. And in a more important way, when Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, visited her older relative (Lk. 1:36) Elizabeth, unborn John leapt when he heard the voice of the woman carrying the world’s Savior. John leapt because something even more wonderful than the Ark had arrived at his house. Mary was, in a very real way, the new Ark of the Covenant because she carried in her womb God in human flesh.

It is absolutely true that our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ say way more about Mary than what Scripture does. But we overreact and push back against the false Roman Catholic teaching harder than we should. That isn’t good either because it ends up diminishing what Scripture says about Jesus. And if we say anything less about Jesus, our salvation is in doubt. Now, if you have any questions regarding what I’m about to say here, please let me know. I’m happy to answer them. Trust me; I’m not starting to lean toward Rome.

To have a proper understanding of Mary and her place in the story of God saving mankind, it is good to start with a Scriptural understanding of who we are and who Jesus is. So, Adam was created by God without a man or woman. Eve was created by God from a man without a woman. We are created by God from both a man and a woman. But Jesus, the God-man, is the only one who comes into human flesh solely from a woman, and that woman is Mary.

The Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, existed from all eternity. But when He took on flesh, He did so through Mary. That means every bit of Jesus’ human nature comes from Mary. She was chosen by God to carry out a unique role in the salvation of mankind. According to our Gospel text, she is the mother of Elizabeth’s Lord and your Lord as well. God chose her to be Jesus’ earthly mother.

Now, in no way does that mean that Mary was sinless herself. We have at least one example from Scripture where Mary sins (and possibly others [Mk. 3:21, 31; Jn. 2:3-4, 7:5]). The easiest example is when Mary wrongly chides twelve-year-old Jesus when He stays in Jerusalem (Lk. 2:48). Mary sins at least twice there. First, she neglected her responsibility as a parent to protect her Son, and second, she blames Jesus for her sin, which is the same thing Adam did when he blamed God for giving him a wife who gave him the forbidden fruit. Also, no, we don’t and shouldn’t worship Mary or pray to her. But, again, we shouldn’t diminish her unique part in the story of salvation. Doing so robs us of the wonder and joy of our salvation. God became man to save us.

In our Gospel text tonight, God was drawing near not just to Jerusalem, but to the whole world through the pre-born Jesus in Mary’s womb. And that is why the unborn John the Baptizer leaps in Elizabeth’s womb. God had come to earth in order to redeem sinful mankind.

This good news brought joy to John even before he was born, but it also brought joy to Jesus Himself. Hebrews 12:2 says that enduring the cross to save mankind was the joy that was set before Jesus. God had come born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem you who were under the Law, so that you might receive adoption as sons (Gal. 4:4-5).

So, when the hymn we sang earlier asks, “What Child is This?” the answer is enough to make our hearts leap just like King David and John the Baptizer. The Child is Christ the King, God in the flesh come to save us. The eternal Son of God comes brings forgiveness, eternal life, and joy to the world.

And right now, through His Word, He comes even nearer to you than He came to John in this Gospel text (Mt. 18:20). He comes and takes up residence in your heart. His love fills you and that love spills over to others. Jesus comes near and makes you a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). And the day is coming soon when Jesus will come to dwell with you again. He will come from His eternal throne one final time to bring you out of this world of sin and sorrow to His eternal joys.

So, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. The Lord is at hand.” He has come, and He is coming again. Amen.[1]The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] The idea for connecting David’s joy at the return of the Ark to the leaping of John the Baptizer was adapted from a sermon by Pr. Ralph Tausz.